Phillies Mailbag: All-Star Game, Kepler, 2025 MLB Draft

We are back once again with the 97.3 ESPN Phillies Mailbag.  Each week we take your quesitons and answer them on The Sports Bash with Mike Gill.  Tune in each Tuesday afternoon to hear your questions answered on the air.

What's your take on the Phillies All-Star situation?
~Frank

On the surface, it seemed the Phillies were snubbed.  Screwed.  Pick a verb.  But as the layers were peeled back, it does not seem so bad.  In fact, it gives the overwhelming impression that the Phillies want something more.

Zack Wheeler very well could have been the All-Star starter in his home town.  Instead, he will rest for the second half and spend time with his newborn child.

On Friday, we learned postgame that Ranger Suárez was offered the opportunity and he declined. Even his teammates were unaware as the humble Suárez did not bring it up.

Cristopher Sánchez was offered the opportunity... provided he signed a contract to pitch an inning.  Having pitched on Sunday, he declined.

I have bigger thoughts about what the All-Star Game has become.  While I almost feel ready to make it a Pro-Bowl-like whiffleball game before the World Series, we'll wait until after the Phillies host next year.

While Kyle Schwarber will be the one Phillies player in Atlanta for tonight's game, the overall impression given by the Phillies: they do not need these personal accolades; it's time to win a World Series.

With Schwarber, Suárez, and J.T. Realmuto all headed to free agency at season's end and with other members of the core not getting any younger, they seem focused and that this would be the year. No messing around for an exhibition game.

While O'Neil Cruz and Pirates fans need this, Cal Raleign and Seattle Mariners fans need this, and James Wood and Nationals fans need this, the Phillies simply do not.

Do you think there is anything to read into about Max Kepler being on the bench Sunday? Is he done?
~Jennifer

I think it's fair to say we are getting closer to the end of Max Kepler on the Phillies roster.  On Sunday, Phillies manager Rob Thomson chose to start .250 hitter against righties Otto Kemp instead of Kepler. Kemp's .663 OPS against righties - the better of his splits - is not necessarily inspiring.  I think that says a lot.

Now 272 at bats in, Kepler is batting just .210 with a .678 OPS.  It's the third time in four years that Kepler has an OPS in the upper 6s.  I think the Phillies gambled that he would return to his old form with the one-year, $10 million deal.

They say that no one-year deal is a bad deal.  The Phillies are obligated to that $10 million no matter what.  In business they call it a "sunk cost".  That money isn't coming back whether he plays or not.

I think after the Phillies make some trade deadline moves, it will be "not" and the Phillies will just eat the remainder of the $10 million.

How do you think the Phillies did in this year's draft?
~Roger

This year's MLB Draft was one that did not bring about a good amount of hype.  The reason is that the Phillies picked 26th overall.  The top teams in the draft get a better opportunity to narrow down their pick.  The Phillies used their first overall pick for college pitcher Gage Wood.

The righthander from Arkansas's claim to fame is his no-hitter in the NCAA Men's College World Series.  It's the first time the Phillies have drafted a college pitcher in the first round since 2014, when someone named Aaron Nola was drafted by the Phillies.

The Phillies were heavy on pitching this year.  Their first eight picks were all pitchers.  Of the 20 total picks 14 of them were pitchers.

Unlike a high school player, college pitchers with expereince tend to rise more quickly to the major leagues.  And the Phillies focused heavily on college this year.  16 of their 20 picks were college players.

Last year's first round pick was outfielder Dante Nori, just 20 years old and still at Low-A Clearwater.

To me, that signals that the Phillies expect to trade their prospect capital this year at the trade deadline, and college prospects will advance in the system further than high school players.

That's not to say the Phillies did not take a chance on high school players completely.  Matthew Fisher was a high-ranked draft prospect (46) who made it all the way to round seven.  The Phillies drafted him there.

Fisher might command money beyond the traditional slot value in the seventh round.  Perhaps that is what kept him from going early in the second round as predicted.

If the Phillies can sign him, it could prove to be fruitful.